'Nazi knife' betting shop robbers who stole £5,000 in two week spree jailed

James Frampton, 30, and Michael Purkiss, 55, stole more than £5,000 from bookies in Hampshire, Dorest and Berkshire during a spree of robberies over the course of 15 days in January. 

A blade recovered from the scene of one of the raids carried out by the men was a ‘unique Nazi SS Knife’, police have said. 

The men, who are both from Eastleigh, were jailed for 12 years each at Southampton Crown Court yesterday for the ‘terrifying’ robberies. 

Frampton and Purkiss carried out the raids on betting shops across the three counties between January 13 and January 27 this year, including one at a shop in Hedge End. 

Frampton entered the betting shops with his face covered and armed with a knife. He would demand money from the staff, threatening them if they did not comply.

Armed with the cash he would then jump in his ride outside, being driven Purkiss, who drove him from place to place.

In total the men stole more than £5,000 during their January spree. 

In total Frampton threatened 14 members of staff working at shops in Southampton, Romsey, Holbury, Hedge End, Poole and Thatcham. No-one was harmed during the robberies. 

The car the pair used was a silver VW Polo, registered to Purkiss’s mother.

This was quickly identified and evidence from ANPR cameras was used to place the men in the locations of the robberies at the right time.

Cell site analysis of Purkiss’s phone linked him to the robberies and clothing seized from the pair matched that seen in the CCTV from the premises.

Officers arrested the pair in a vehicle on January 31 and charged them with robbery.

Detective Constable Ali Humby from the Western Investigation Team said: ‘The level of violence threatened and the weapons used by Frampton to scare staff in these premises must have been terrifying.

‘Even though no one was physically injured, experiencing this type of crime has had huge impacts on staff working at these stores.

‘I hope the sentences today serve as some closure to those staff members who were subjected to these crimes.’